submissions
| Leonard Cohen – Master Song Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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It is about the clash, the ever continuing fight between knowledge and wiseness and the temptation that every single human being feels to know everything. The man who is " sick in bed " is the wise man who holds a knowledge that is not yet ready to be spread. The master is the man who is full of knowledge and is spreading it in order to gain personnal gratification - because he is unwise. He tells everything to his student even though the student is most probably not wise enough to handle the knowledge given to him. There is a strong religious side to this song, in my opinion. The roman catholic God is a symbol of wisdom while Satan is one of knowledge. Satan and his demons often offer knowledge in order to corrupt human beings. It's a warning about what might happen one day - or what has already happened. While knowledge is the prime tool towards evolution, it is also creating all sorts of evil in the process. Also, perhaps is it a hint, the " lady who went to the moon " is most probably the USA. |
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| Leonard Cohen – Bird on the Wire Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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I believe this song is about the artist's bane: society. The artist tries, through his art, to escape society, the reality surrounding it, and its boundaries, but society is ever present: the artist has to make money in order to live ( eating, having a home, traveling in order to show his art, etc ). As the artist discovers this through the years, he will try to go through boundaries - boundaries created by society. In this way, the artist defies what is considered normal behavior and often upsets the people around him. In this song, the artist apologizes to those who are dear to him. Of course, the bird is the symbolism of freedom, the freedom of creation is as infinite as it is limited - by the wire ( society ). The true birds are those whom you never hear or see - they do not travel, they do not own houses and they barely have enough to eat. It is about a sacrifice that each and every artist has to make. |
submissions
| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Bills Corpse Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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At first listening, I tought it was about a young girl who feels really bad after her abortion. She probably feels bad for many reasons. People are telling her: " Why surely madam you must be dreamin'
You couldn't have done this if you knew what you were doin' ". Bill is probably the baby's name, but it could also be a metaphore for the total absence of the father in the song and in the story, and his lack of actions, help and support might make him look like a dead person, a corpse.
But then I thought: this could be the statue of Liberty. The ashes and lashes could be refering to her flame. The "red, white and blue hair" could be refering to the flag of the USA. When she was constructed, the United States was the place where all dreams came true, but now: " Hideously looking back at what once was beautiful ". It could be about the actual death of the women represented in the statue of Liberty. This could be a way to imply freedom died, and now that it's hopeless, people get together in grief. The various species could be about the many races in america, or the many political views uniting once freedom is lost. And the lyrics: " Why surely madam you must be dreamin'
You couldn't have done this if you knew what you were doin' " could mean that freedom itself killed freedom through chaos. |
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| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – She's Too Much For My Mirror Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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It's about an artist realizing his friend ( perhaps girlfriend ) has become materialistic. It could also be about someone, after discovering art and loving it, finding his friend to be totally lacking any artistic culture. In anyways, the girl is wasting her time. If you look at the lyrics " She make things fly and she make things roll ", it means that the " things " lack so much importance that they don't even have names so they're just " things ". The mirror is metaphorical for the love of oneself's physical attributes, the materialistic. |
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| Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band – Frownland Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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The lyrics can be interpreted in many ways ( like pretty much every songs he made ! ). It could be about an artist trying to convince a friend to leave society, to create a world of their own, a world of poets. But my own interpretation is, perhaps, darker. I believe it's about the fact that as an artist you must connect some way to society, and because of this, there is always something or someone to drag you down to " reality ". These lyrics are, in my opinion, about the same man talking to himself. There is the first half, the artistic, dreaming one, and there is the other one in frownland ( society, real life as you may call it ). Both will never become one, and for this reason, everything that is reality will belong to the frownland personality, and everything that is artistic and outerwordly will belong to the artist who escaped frownland, hence is " smile is stuck ". The overall message is about drawing a line between real life and artistic life and not blend each other or else you will be diminished in both worlds. The reason why this is the opening song in Trout Mask Replica is probably because Beefheart says a goodbye to his Frownland alter-ego, because his albums were the only way for him to create a world made out of pure artistic work. And he is right. An earthly hand cannot kill you in Captain Beefheart's world. When the Cap will die, his music will still live on. |
submissions
| Tom Waits – Downtown Train Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Rain Dogs was the first Tom Waits album I listened. I hated it back then, I used to skip many of the songs, but I loved Downtown Train because it was a catchy song. Then, after listening to the album so many times, it turned out as my favorite.
I believe it is a shame that Rod Stewart took all the fame out of the song and totally made it his own... But it also happened with Bruce Springsteen ( Jersey Girl ) and many others who made covers out of his songs. I also believe it sucks. Especially on Stewart's part because he also covered Tom Traubert's Blues - I mean, at least give credit to man, if you're making more than one cover out of him ( which is not right in my opinion ), make a whole album of covers to promote the guy! The shittiest thing is that Rod probably never knew how great the less " radio friendly " songs are. He probably don't even get the lyrics.
But Tom is way to much of a man to complain about this and I bet he'd be more ashamed of us, rain dogs, bitchin' over the fame he could have had because he probably never searched for it anyways. And that's the thing that makes him my favorite artist. |
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| Eddie Vedder – Hard Sun (Indio cover) Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I believe it's about nature. You think you're controlling it somehow, yet it surrounds you and grows back. You fell helpless when you're alone, yet it is it that created and raised humankind for centuries and centuries. Nature is both charming and terrible and I believe this song is about that. There is something very special about nature for you cannot "have" it nor can it have you. The sun is beating on the big, rich, "important" people who do not feel one with the nature anymore. |
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| Tom Waits – A Sweet Little Bullet from a Pretty Blue Gun Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Waits actually said himself that this song was about a girl who committed suicide at 15 years old. She jumped out of a window with a guitar.
It's about being deceived by life, realizing how hard, cruel and ruthless it can be some times and that it often hurts naive people the most. |
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| Tom Waits – Kentucky Avenue Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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What is very special with this song is that many of the things in the song actually were parts of Waits own childhood. Dickie Faulkner, Joey Navinski, Mrs. Storm, and even the friend in the wheelchair he's talking to was actually one of his best friends. Charlie Deslisle actually interviewed Tom Waits years later after they parted ways when they were younger.
Tom Waits(1981): "My best friend, when I was a kid, had polio. I didn't understand what polio was. I just knew it took him longer to get to the bus stop than me. I dunno. Sometimes I think kids know more than anybody. I rode a train once to Santa Barbara with this kid and it almost seemed like he lived a life somewhere before he was born and he brought what he knew with him into this world and so..." His voice fades off for a moment, then, "...It's what you don't know that's usually more interesting. Things you wonder about, things you have yet to make up your mind about. There's more to deal with than just your fundamental street wisdom. Dreams. Nightmares." |
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| Tom Waits – Road to Peace Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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The thing that makes this song so unique is this: as simple and easily understandable these lyrics are, who really knows which road is the road to peace? |
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| Arcade Fire – Keep the Car Running Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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It is about anxiety, fear of death. Undeniably and I will explain it clearly.
The men coming to take him away, the weight pressing down, the character hears the sound, the noises he makes = Sleep Paralysis, but more precisely: Hypnagogia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis
I've been having sleep paralysis since birth. It happens a least once a year. I understood those lyrics as if they were mine because the description given is exactly the same. It is as if some being was over you. Sometimes, you see two humanoïd figures other many others. My own visions of these beings seem like ghosts made out of smoke. I know it's not always the same with other people. It has been speculated that sleep paralysis is often the case of supposed alien abduction during sleep. You feel as if you were awake, yet you cannot move. You hear some humming noise and you can hear yourself trying to talk or scream, but no sounds comes out. You feel as if the being or whatever you are hallucinating is pressing down on your body.
I'm not the kind of person to be stressed by daily things - I have no idea with I keep having this, but as shown on wikipedia it is said that stress and sleeping at odd times ( afternoon ) is often the cause for this.
To me, it is obvious that the character in Keep the car running sees hallucinations of ghosts or "beings" that are in the after-life. The " people " who know his name are angels, or any of God's followers. He must have been baptized when he was an infant, like so many of us, and abandonned this religion. So they know his name, but they have no power over him anymore, so they do not know when he will die.
Since it is shown that the character is not believing in any religion, he explains in the end that if he does not come back ( if he dies ) he will not go to heaven like God's followers, nor will he sail the river ( Styx )like the pagans. He will remain between both worlds, in the same city, the city which got many names during centuries, but stayed the same. He will remain there. Just like the beings he sees in his sleep paralysis... And wouldn't you fear death if such a thing would happen to you in the afterlife? Of course, keeping the car running is trying to beat death, as it was already said. |
submissions
| Supertramp – Child of Vision Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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It's about the next generation ( actually generation X but I think this could fit with any generations to come ) being " lazy " and robotic. They have everything at their disposal but lack imagination and creativity and put no effort on the things they should. |
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| Supertramp – Just Another Nervous Wreck Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Once we could make a living out of being an artist. Nowadays, everything involving art became a business. Every artists had to, one time or another, create something they didn't like - but they knew they would make money out of it. One time or another, if the artist creates too much only of the money, he breaks down and has no inspiration. The character in the song is not an artist anymore. He's giving warnings to all young and new artists out there. |
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| Tom Waits – Underground Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Like Zemi said it is probably about some " lower class beings ". It could also be about ants. But of course it has a double meaning. We humans think we own the earth, but ants are much more numerous than we are, and they are almost everywhere on the planet. Perhaps, if all humanity dies, they will still live. It's about fearing people who work harder than you. One time or another, they will throw you out of your throne and you will find yourself UNDERGROUND! |
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| Tom Waits – Whistlin' Past the Graveyard Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Trully this archmastermind guy was so quick at typing all the Tom Waits lyrics he made at least one mistake in every single one he uploaded here. Anyways, this is one of my favorite songs. I'm not to sure it's about being happy without material things since he said he never told the truth. I think this is about someone who's so overconfidend that he steps on anything, anybody. He whistles past the graveyard because he has no respect for anything as well. He deceives and likes to do so. He " flies on the wings of a magpie " and as you know these birds are little pricks, probably just like him. I can easily think of some crazy cartoon character not only stepping on cracks and whistling past the graveyard but raising the dead and stuff! Waits |
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| Tom Waits – Poor Edward Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Yes very nightmarish that's the word. I used to think this song was sad. When I heard it with headphones I could only think of the face behind Edward's back. I felt something I never felt before that could only be compared to fear, I guess. How he would have lived must have been horrible. He probably wasn't going out often and when he was alone at home, well, he wasn't alone. All of his thoughts must have been on this face he had behind his head. It's as if I could see Edward looking at himself in the mirror while I'm listening to this song. Something very deep is within this song and it is as if Edward's soul would be a part of the violin being played. Very eerie. |
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| Tom Waits – Grapefruit Moon Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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This guy who put the Tom Waits lyrics here, archmastermind, may have had good intentions but he messed up almost every song lyrics he submitted. |
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| Tom Waits – Virginia Avenue Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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Greatest drunk guy song. Even the melody makes it seem as if the music itself is not walking in a straight line. |
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| Tom Waits – Heigh Ho Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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" How to make a Disney song evil 101 by Tom Waits "
At first I didn't like it but it's one of my favorites by now. I can imagine really ugly, sweaty and angry dwarves digging and eating the rats they find in their holes! |
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| Tom Waits – Saving All My Love for You Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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it's too early for the circus, it's too late for the bars, no one's sleepin'
but the paperboys, and no one in this town is makin' any noise, but the dogs
and the milkmen and me.
I love the beginning of this song. Very Bukowski-ish. |
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| Tom Waits – Lonely Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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After breaking up and being angry you come to realize you had a part in the breakup as well and that you may still love him/her. Quite obvious. |
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| Tom Waits – Jersey Girl Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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It's a shame that Tom Waits is not recognized for this song ( like some other songs he made ). I guess he just likes staying partially unknown. |
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| Tom Waits – I'm Still Here Lyrics
| 18 years ago
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I believe the song is about Alzheimer's. The first part, to me, is about the person who has alzheirmer's and has a short time of lucidity.
" You dreamed me up and left me here
How long was I dreaming for
What was it you wanted me for "
The second part is about the person taking care of the first one and rediscovers, with this short spark of lucidity, the person he or she once loved.
" Your watch has stopped and the pond is clear
Someone turn the lights back off
I'll love you til all time is gone " |
submissions
| Pearl Jam – Helphelp Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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the man they call my enemy, i've seen his eyes
he looks just like me, a mirror
the more you read, we've been deceived
everyday it becomes clearer
clearer, clearer, clearer, clearer...
Sounds like Scott Stapp and his downward spiral! |
submissions
| Supertramp – Lover Boy Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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The Lover Boy is someone who knows no boundaries, no limits. He cares less for the girls, yet, he needs them to feel valuable. He uses all the girls in town, inevitably breaking their hearts. |
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| Supertramp – Oh Darling Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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I think this song is about a man who loves someone who does not love him. He probably talks to ( her? ) in his head, not to her directly. He promises things and dreams of what life could be with her by his side. Although he knows she will never love him, and that perhaps she already loves someone else, he still tries to gain her heart. |
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| Supertramp – Crime of the Century Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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I think the Crime of the Century is not environmental since this " crime " originated centuries ago. If there is a crime stamped in the 20th Century it is for not caring for our children, the future of the world and therefore, everything, not just environmental problems, will increase. In fact all of the songs of the albums are mostly about children and teenagers. ( like Crisis is mostly about relationships, Breakfast being mostly about material and egocentric needs, and Quietest about philosophy and evolution ). |
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| Supertramp – Asylum Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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Note the cuckoo sound at the end referencing to the novel ( not the movie since it came out a year later ). |
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| Supertramp – A Soapbox Opera Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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As you said this is obviously about the religion. I would also add my personal theory about Rudy ( yes the Rudy from the Crime of the Century song ). I believe that some Supertramp songs are about Rudy and this one is probably about him as well. Chronogically speaking I would put it right after " Hide in your shell ". Rudy, after suffering something real bad, comes back to where he spent time as a child: church and his bitter taste of life now shows him things he did not realize back then. He does not find the comfort he searches for and he turns even more bitter and the " downward spiral " commences. |
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| Supertramp – Rudy Lyrics
| 19 years ago
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I believe Rudy is the symbol of everything that is not wanted, a renegade but more than ordinary individual who is not given a chance to explore himself and become someone else, someone better, someone special and therefore my opinion is that this is a recurring character, present in " The four albums "; Crime of the century, Crisis, Quietest and Breakfast. |
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